Unintended Guardian (Full Story): A Mythos Legacy Short Story

Chapter Two: Part Two

His front door clicked open and closed. He didn’t turn around. He didn’t need to see an empty apartment and be reminded of the pointlessness of his life.

When a gryphon succeeded in his mission to guard the treasure under his protection, he was blessed by the sun, noble and strong. When one failed…

The doorbell’s buzz brought his head up. For reasons he didn’t understand, his feet moved to the door and prevented him from ignoring the sound.

The woman stood there, lifting a translucent container in offering. “I might not be able to solve your problem, but I’ve found there are very few things in the world that good food can’t help make more tolerable. May I come in?”

The word “no” sat on his tongue, easy and habitual, but he stepped back with wordless acceptance.

She entered and set the container on his kitchen counter. “Okay, let’s redo our first meeting.” She extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Kala Kaneko, your new neighbor in apartment 715.”

Her slim fingers slipped into his palm, somehow both gentle and determined, and he allowed her to shake his hand. His thumb stroked her skin, soft and smooth. Odd. It shouldn’t feel this pleasurable to touch a human—even one that looked like her.

She angled her head and met his gaze. “And now you’re supposed to introduce yourself.”

“What? Oh.” He tugged his hand away from her distraction. “I’m Griff Cyrus, and you already know where I live.”

She gave him a dazzling smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Griff.”

“Blech.” Niall slumped in the cage. “I’m goin’ to be sick.”

Griff grabbed the crate. “Then let me put you in the bathroom. By yourself.”

By the time he returned from relocating his captive, Kala had set out two plates, each heaped with bright red strawberries beside a frothy white mound. She shrugged, the self-conscious gesture making him more at ease.

“These were leftover from work this morning, and they’re at their peak today. I’m glad I have someone to share them with, or I’d be eating them all myself.”

Long forgotten, his manners reappeared, and he pulled out her chair.

She blushed an attractive shade. “Thank you.”

After she took her seat, he joined her at the table and stared at the pile of white foam. Strawberries, he knew. But how was he supposed to eat this food? Assuming it even was food.

More than half his meals were the result of his gryphon-form hunting for animals every night, the only time he could leave the building. The rest of the time, he tended toward no-fuss calories like beef jerky. Humans’ eating habits weren’t something he’d needed to understand.

She scooted her chair closer and leaned toward him. “Do me a favor. I want you to close your eyes and tell me what you think of these flavors.”

That seemed easy enough. He closed his eyes.

“You have to open your mouth too.” Her words held a hint of laughter.

After he obliged, her scent intensified and warmth drifted over his lips. Despite his superior strength, the situation still raised the hairs on his arms. He forced himself to remain motionless.

She placed something between his teeth. “Take a bite.”

Beyond the simple taste of strawberries he expected, an explosion of tart and sweet, firm and soft, cool and smooth filled his mouth. He groaned at the flavors and textures and scrutinized the plateful of food.

“What is that?”

“Just strawberries and cream, but the whipped cream is my own recipe. You like it?”

“I’ve never tasted anything so good in my life, and at my age, that means something.”

“Good.” She took a bite of a whipped-cream-dipped strawberry, leaving white speckles on her lips. Her tongue darted out, drawing his eye as she licked the stray cream.

The oddest urge to kiss those lips swept through him. He shook his head and sat back. That wasn’t possible. Gryphons didn’t get involved with, or even kiss, random women. When they mated, they mated for life.

By her fifth bite-and-lick maneuver, his body didn’t care about such logic.

She smiled and indicated his untouched plate. “Are you going to eat those strawberries, or are you going to sit there debating whether or not to kiss me?”

Her question made his decision for him. He waited for her to take another bite before giving an answer.

“Neither.” His voice was rougher than he expected.

Her eyes widened to the size of the strawberry she’d just finished off, and her tongue forgot to do its job. He leaned forward and took over cleanup duty. He nibbled around her mouth and traced a path across her lips. His tongue then insisted on a second pass, just to be sure. She tasted as good as she smelled. Even better than the strawberry.

What am I doing? Gryphons had one mate for their entire, nearly immortal lifetime. Choosing a short-lived human to fulfill that role would be asking for heartbreak.

This was just the despair of his curse affecting him. It wasn’t about her.

He pulled away, his muscles taut and his nerves on edge. She blinked slowly, as if waking from a dream.

Then she swallowed and kissed him back. Despite himself, he responded.

Her tongue slipped across his mouth, and she sucked on his lip. Every part of his body now joined in his response. A moment later, her lips parted, and he dove in, desperate to taste more of her.

Her soft lips, her sweet mouth, and her sexy moans overran his logic. He could stay here a bit longer.

Just a little bit longer.